Watcher
faces a Howler]] The , speculative name since it is not revealed what they are called in the game, is what appears to be a mutated rat or wolf. They are about the same size of a human, and are covered with dark, grey fur, and have a dark, pink like tail. They are found in Dead City 1 & 2, Prologue, Alley and Tower. Physical appearance and Behaviour The howler resembles a rat or wolf, both in behavior and apperance. It has dark, grey fur, similiar in color to a rat. It also has a dark, pink tail, also similiar to a rat. The conflicting element, that could show it is not a rat, is the way they move. They are extremely agile, and move rather fast. It has four thin legs, just like a wolf. Another conflicting element, that disputes that it is entirely a rat, is their howling, as the "name" implies. They can be seen howling, standing on two legs at several locations, this is probably a way for them to communicate. Another rat-like element about the howler, is that it is seen standing on two legs, sniffing in the air, like a curious rat. Although Howlers are commonly found in small groups, a massive horde of the creatures are seen running from the tower, with only a few breaking off to attack the Rangers. The large numbers of Howlers and their close proximity to the Tower indicate that the area is a major nesting site, if not a breeding ground, as the Howlers seen running past Artyom's group are of varying sizes and lengths. A Howler's mouth is very odd, resembling mandibles; it is angled upward and sunken into the face, giving the Howler a face like a pug dog. A pair of phalanges adjoin either side of the mouth and have some teeth lining the lower edge. These are probably used to give the Howler a greater surface area when biting, or to amplify its howls by vibrating. Tactic The howler, just like lurkers and nosalises, band together in packs of three - seven at a time. This can be rather problematic, as they are met early in the game, and ammunition is not yet as available as it probably will be later on. However, this can be easily solved, any of the two shotguns can be effective against them, as long as you keep your aim steady at the head or upper body. Trivia *Unlike the lurkers, nosalises, amoebas, demons and librarians, you will not get an achievement for killing a certain number of the howlers. *Due to their similar appearance with Lurkers (mouth and overall body figure), they could very well be adult Lurkers which have grown a coat. *There are quite a few "quick-time" encounters with Howlers throughout the game. One for example, is on Dead City 1: it will pretend to be dead and when Artyom moves close enough to it, it will lunge at him and pin him to the ground. You must then press the action button multiple times to make Artyom stab it in the neck or bash it with his knife. Category:Mutants